Davisince
Newbie
I was fortunate enought to be gifted an old hohner accordion and I was wondering what it's value was, it has a bellows lock and two palm switches
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Does anyone know how much this hohner accordion is worth?
- Thread starter Davisince
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Depends on the condition of internal parts… accordions of that vintage are often worn out and need significant maintenance to be usable as an instrument.
Davisince
Newbie
It still works fine, It plays fairly well and there doesn't seem to be a lot of damage if any
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
An older accordion is worth whatever someone's willing to pay for it ?
wirralaccordion
Well-known member
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It's a Hohner Morino 1. I have one myself. The two palm switches allow for four registrations and the LMMM sound is like a fairground organ.
Nobody will know it's value by looking at a photo of it. It has to be heard rather than seen!
Nobody will know it's value by looking at a photo of it. It has to be heard rather than seen!
Valski
Well-known member
Also the value of your accordion depends mostly on what the local market will pay. It's definitely an older model and the condition is unknown.
Is there a local accordion shop where you might take it for evaluation? Most accordion shops will take a look and give you an estimate of the value.
Is there a local accordion shop where you might take it for evaluation? Most accordion shops will take a look and give you an estimate of the value.
Ikesaccordions
Active member
Morino eh? Potentially a lot of value if in good internal condition
A Morino I cannot really be compared with the later nice Morino accordions. A Morino I has no cassotto, and is found mostly in accordion museums, not in use by actual players...
Squeezebox Of Delights
Active member
Someone sold a Morino I on this forum a little while ago, it'll be in the sales section somewhere. In good condition it could fetch a few hundred of your local currency, maybe more, but pre-war accordions are funny old things, and they aren't as desirable or valuable as their post-war cousins. I love them though 
Ikesaccordions
Active member
Haven't fig'd out how to quote, but Debra said early Morino ain't so great. It has no cassotto.
I will mention that I restored old accordions as old as 100 yrs and made more money in a day than an old Morino sold for, playing in public, and the fact that the old Marino referenced had better reeds in it than anything recent. No cassotto saves a lot of weight.
As for cassotto, many manufacturers were trying to find alternatives, for example Excelsior wooden mute, Settimio Soprani Ampliphonic reed blocks, Titano Tube Chamber, Atlantic IV "window shade" mute, the special grille shape on the Crucianelli-Pan with the "Venetian blind" shifts, a tapered removable resonator on a Swiss Atlantic IV, none of which are as resonant as a cassotto, but they make up some of the slack by not weighing nearly as much, and more importantly much more cost-effective to manufacture.
It appears that the earliest cassotti were single rather than double, more compact, easier to mount into the reed cavity, plenty sonorous, and taking up less weight and space. "Those were the days". These are also days.
I will mention that I restored old accordions as old as 100 yrs and made more money in a day than an old Morino sold for, playing in public, and the fact that the old Marino referenced had better reeds in it than anything recent. No cassotto saves a lot of weight.
As for cassotto, many manufacturers were trying to find alternatives, for example Excelsior wooden mute, Settimio Soprani Ampliphonic reed blocks, Titano Tube Chamber, Atlantic IV "window shade" mute, the special grille shape on the Crucianelli-Pan with the "Venetian blind" shifts, a tapered removable resonator on a Swiss Atlantic IV, none of which are as resonant as a cassotto, but they make up some of the slack by not weighing nearly as much, and more importantly much more cost-effective to manufacture.
It appears that the earliest cassotti were single rather than double, more compact, easier to mount into the reed cavity, plenty sonorous, and taking up less weight and space. "Those were the days". These are also days.
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You must be a helluva accordionist! Most people don't make enough money busking in a day to pay for their lunch! Do you have any videos of you playing online?
... at the expense of sound quality, but that can be personal preference, of course.
I think you are confusing cassotto and sordinos a little. The effects they both produce... vastly different. But I understand what you are saying!
Most people who are not experienced with accordions will pick them up, press a few keys, hit a few buttons and pronounce the accordion as being in "perfect" condition... then someone else opens them up, takes a look at that same accordion, plays it for 3 minutes and tells you that the cost to remove the mold, replcae all curled valves, replace the bellows and retune it will far outweigh what it's market value actually is.
The thing about accordions is that (using yours as an example), it may have a value of $1000 **if** it was in 100% as new condition *and* you found that one special buyer on who's heart strings it pulled real hard. On the open market, *maybe* $100 on a good day. At a flea market? Lucky if you received an offer of $20.
Accordions are a very niche item, finding the right buyer... well lets say your chances of finding $100 on the sidewalk are greater... lol
Ikesaccordions
Active member
I guess I was a pretty good busker after 40 years. There's more to the science than most people would imagine.
Part of it is technique, part musicology, and one very important aspect is knowing how to find and choose a location.
$100 tips are pretty rare, though.
I could launch into an amusing history of that career, but this forum might not be the ideal venue; speaking of venues choosing a location is one key, but just as important is motivation. Necessity is the mother of creativity.
Part of it is technique, part musicology, and one very important aspect is knowing how to find and choose a location.
$100 tips are pretty rare, though.
I could launch into an amusing history of that career, but this forum might not be the ideal venue; speaking of venues choosing a location is one key, but just as important is motivation. Necessity is the mother of creativity.
Ikesaccordions
Active member
If I had any money right now I'd make you an offer. I totalled my good car and can't get out to any good locations to busk at.
The 1981 Malibu needs work, and no money to get it fixed. Only needs a carburettor kit and some brake work.
If that Morino's a 4/5 LMMM with 2 palm switches it could be perfect for my street gigs, and a real classic.
Squeezebox Of Delights
Active member
Photos of the inside would be a great help, of course. The photo you attached makes it look very good indeed, but there could be problems inside that vastly decrease the value. Pre-war Hohners are solid, well made boxes, and if it's anything like the other medium-to-high end 1930s instruments I've encountered, then a few curled valves or rattly reeds are definitely worth fixing and you'll have a very nice accordion.
boxplayer4000
Prolific poster
Those Morino 1s were made 1938/39 and in good condition they still selling recently for £500 to £900 round here. Post covid the market has shrunk so it may be less easy to attain those figures now. Who knows?
Though rare, a cassotto version was made; there's one not far away from here.
Though rare, a cassotto version was made; there's one not far away from here.
